Telegram Ban in India Sparks VPN Surge and Boosts Rival Messaging Apps
News Desk
21 June 2026, 13:53
A temporary restriction on Telegram in India has triggered a sharp rise in downloads of VPN services and alternative messaging apps as users look for ways to stay connected.
The Indian government restricted access to Telegram until June 22, citing concerns that fraudsters could use the platform to spread fake exam papers and scams linked to the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) retest.
Following the announcement, VPN downloads surged across the country. Data from app intelligence firm Appfigures showed downloads of major VPN applications jumped nearly 50% in a single day. Services including Proton VPN, Turbo VPN, NordVPN, ExpressVPN and Windscribe reported significant increases in downloads and new user registrations.
The spike pushed several VPN apps higher in India's app store rankings as users sought ways to access blocked services.
Alternative messaging platforms also benefited from the restriction. Signal recorded strong growth in downloads across both Apple's App Store and Google Play, while Viber and Telegram-linked messaging app iMe also saw a sharp increase in new users.
Despite the restriction, Telegram's user activity remained strong. Market intelligence firm Sensor Tower reported that Telegram's daily active users in India increased after the measure was announced, suggesting many users continued trying to access the platform through alternative methods.
Cloudflare also reported a noticeable rise in requests for Telegram-related internet domains from India following the restriction.
Telegram challenged the government's decision in the Delhi High Court, arguing that authorities should target specific channels or content instead of restricting the entire platform. The court, however, upheld the temporary measure, citing the emergency nature of the situation and its connection to the upcoming examination.
Telegram said it had cooperated with authorities by removing channels identified during the investigation. The company questioned the need for a platform-wide restriction affecting what it says are more than 150 million users in India.
The Indian government defended the move as a temporary response aimed at preventing exam-related fraud during a sensitive period.
According to internet monitoring data, Telegram is currently blocked in several countries and has faced restrictions in many others over the years. Similar actions have often resulted in increased demand for VPN services and competing communication platforms as users seek alternative ways to stay online.
Source: Reuters
